Sport
Steel crosses the try line
Probably best-known among sports
fans for the Ian Botham-led Ashes
Test win in 1981, Headingley first
hosted an international cricket
match in 1899 and is one of the world’s most
well-known sports venues.
However, Headingley is not just a cricket
venue, what marks it out as a unique
sporting arena is the fact that it also contains
an adjacent rugby stadium.
Home to Leeds Rhinos rugby league side
since 1889, this part of Headingley is also
steeped in history and hosted the first-ever
rugby league Challenge Cup Final in 1897.
The proximity of the two grounds means
Headingley has a unique north/south stand
(north at the rugby ground and south on
the cricket side), containing back-to-back
seating that overlook both sporting venues.
Built in the 1930s, this stand was no
longer fit-for-purpose and was recently
demolished at part of Headingley Rugby
Stadium’s ongoing redevelopment
programme. As well as building a new
similarly configured stand, the overall works
also involve the simultaneous construction
of a new rugby south stand. This work on the
rugby stadium is also progressing alongside a
programme to upgrade the cricket ground.
Main contractor for the rugby stadium
redevelopment is Yorkshire-based Caddick
Construction, the company that previously
built the rugby ground’s east stand nine years
ago.
Work on this phase began with the
demolition of the existing south stand and
the construction of its replacement structure,
which will accommodate a total of 7,721
rugby spectators. This will consist of 2,233
seated spectators on the upper tier with the
remainder standing on the lower paddock.
“The main challenge for us is working
around the cricket and rugby fixtures which
are ongoing throughout our programme,”
explains Caddick Construction Senior
Contracts Manager Paul Hunter.
“During the current rugby league season,
we have had to hand over the entire site
approximately every two weeks for Leeds
Rhinos home game. That means decamping
from the stadium and turning a construction
site into a sports ground, by clearing away
machinery, making everything safe and
installing items such as barriers, PA systems
and fire alarms.”
To help accommodate as many spectators
as possible during the construction period,
Caddick managed to open up a portion of
the lower standing tier in the new south
stand, while the upper areas were still being
completed.
“By getting the precast terracing installed
on the steel rakers as quickly as possible, we
were able to cordon this completed area off
during match days to allow fans to use it,
One of the UK’s most iconic sporting venues, and the only one
with a back-to-back grandstand, is being redeveloped with the
aid of steel construction. Martin Cooper reports.
FACT FILE
Emerald Headingley
Stadium redevelopment
Main client:
Leeds Rhinos, Yorkshire
County Cricket Club
Architect: DLA Design
Main contractor:
Caddick Construction
Structural engineer:
TRP Consulting
Steelwork contractor:
Hambleton Steel
Steel tonnage: 1,800t
26 NSC
September 18
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